Total Pro Sports
Ryan Clark has apologized for bringing Robert Griffin III’s wife into their beef.
The ESPN analyst offered his former colleague a public apology on his podcast, ‘The Pivot,’ this Friday. He admitted he shouldn’t have mentioned Griffin’s wife, although he didn’t back down from the point he was trying to make.
“She didn’t need to be the illustration of that. I could speak positively about what they are without making the insinuations that it’s something that non-Black women don’t do well,” Clark said.
If I had to do address @RGIII again I wouldn’t include his wife. She didn’t need to be made an example of in order to make my point. I could have easily pointed to the positive impact a connection with black women had on the way you see, understand, & treat them.
The optics of… pic.twitter.com/nDZ6zUm8Q3
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) May 23, 2025
The former NFL safety explained the reasoning behind his take, saying he felt like RGIII was mocking Angel Reese while his wife was in the background “almost as a prop” and “applauding what I felt was a personal attack.”
The back-and-forth stemmed from RGIII claiming Reese hates Caitlin Clark following her reaction to last Saturday’s flagrant foul.
While many fans praised Clark for his accountability, not everyone bought it.
“I know a “make a public apology or you’re fired” video mandated by your boss when I see one,” someone wrote in the comments.
I know a “make a public apology or you’re fired” video mandated by your boss when I see one
— Frisky Dingo ✌️ (@friskydingo4242) May 23, 2025
“ESPN made him do this,” echoed another.
ESPN made him do this
— Mike Farrell (@mfarrellsports) May 23, 2025
“Took way too long to right that wrong. Feels as tho maybe someone directed you to put out a statement. Sad,” another comment read.
Took way too long to right that wrong. Feels as tho maybe someone directed you to put out a statement. Sad.
— Steelers/Pens/Golf (@blovesk2010) May 23, 2025
“Most Black folks understood what you meant. But, the way you said it was kinda wild. 😂,” a user wrote.
Most Black folks understood what you meant. But, the way you said it was kinda wild. 😂
— 𝑶.𝑩. 𝑻𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒔 🇺🇸 (@TheActivistOBT) May 24, 2025
Griffin responded to Clark’s criticism by referring to him as “cowardly, spineless, and weak,” asserting he crossed a line.
“Ryan Clark personally attacking me and my family personally over a sports opinion is a bad look for ESPN and for him as a man,” he said in a video.
Clark concluded his apology by addressing RGIII’s wife, Grete, directly.
“I was out of line, I was out of bounds, I apologize,” he said. *“To all of the people who don’t line RG3’s take or the way that he...
